Baseboard convector bridging carpet stretcher base



1965 E. A. DAHLKE BASEBOARD CONVECTOR BRIDGING CARPET STRETCHER BASE Filed Oct. 4,- 1963 IN V EN TOR.

A'Dl/l/l/V H. DHHL/(E United States Patent 3,216,702 BASEBOARD CONVECTOR BRIDGING CARPET STRETCHER BASE Edwin A. Dahlke, 208 W. Green Bay St., Shawano, Wis. Filed Oct. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 313,995 Claims. (Cl. 254-57) This invention relates generally to carpet stretchers and more particularly to a novel wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher for briding the baseboard convector of a room to be carpeted.

Until the advent of the relatively new types of heating systems, the old homes provided a rigid wooden baseboard against which the wall-abutting plate of a carpet stretcher could operatively bear against for resisting and reacting the carpet stretching forces generated by the carpet stretcher.

In the newer homes, a system of baseboard radiation is used, that is, in lieu of the rigid wooden baseboard, a hollow sheet steel baseboard convector is provided, concealing heating elements therein, and through which and from which heat is discharged into a room, through openings in the face wall of such hollow baseboard convector.

Such hollow baseboard convector cannot withstand the carpet stretching pressures; and they will become dented and damaged should the carpet stretcher be disposed to operatively bear against them.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a carpet stretcher that need not bear against such hollow baseboard convectors, and thus avoids the denting and damage thereto.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved carpet stretcher.

Another object is to provide a wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher that is adapted to bear against a wall face directly, as distinguished from hearing against a baseboard convector associated with such wall.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher that operatively bridges a baseboard convector.

Yet another object is to provide a wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher that is adapted to operatively bear against the face of a finished wall without fear of damage thereto.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher that is adapted to transmit stretching forces to the face of a wall, at wall studs thereof.

Other specific objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better under-stood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the wall-abutting means, per se, in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of FIG. 1, but showing the wall-bearing beam removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wall-bearing beam; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view showing the wallabutting means attached to the end of the body portion of a conventional carpet stretcher, and illustrating its application to a wall and associated baseboard convector.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1, a wallabutting means comprising a support means generally 3,216,702 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 ice indicated at 10 and a wall-bearing beam means generally indicated at 11.

Said support 10 comprises a pair of substantially parallel and spaced upright side plates 12 and 13 rigidly secured together by cross braces 14, 15 and 16 welded thereacross.

The rearward vertical edge portion of said support 10 is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced hori zontal slots 17, 18 and 19 extending across said rear edge.

Said slots are provided with upper and lower deck plates 21 and 22 such as indicated for slot 18, said deck plates being substantially centrally apertured, such as indicated at 23, to receive a removable pin such as indicated at 24. The deck plates are secured to the sides 12 and 13 of the support as by welding.

A transverse base member 25 is secured across the bottom at the forward portion of the support 10 as by means of screws 26 threadedly engaged in cross brace 14.

Leveler screws 27 and 28 are provided at the end portions, respectively, of said base member 25, said leveler screws having heads 29 and 31 universally mounted on said screws, respectively. Lock nuts such as indicated at 32 are provided for said leveler screws.

The rearward portion of the elongated body 30, of a conventional carpet stretcher, is adapted to be received between the side plates 12 and 13 of the support 10, and is restable on the lower cross braces 14 and 15, and is connected to said support plates by pin means 33. Said pin is receivable in oppositely disposed apertures 34 in the side plates, respectively, and in a registrable bore in the end portion of said elongated body 30. Said pin means comprises two telescopically related portions, with a biasing compression spring, not shown, therein to allow the pin portions to telescopically compress when the pin is disposed between the side plates, and to automatically expand engageably into apertures 34 when the pin mean-s are disposed opposite said apertures. Said expandable pin is of conventional contsruction and is not shown in detail. Obviously, a solid one-piece rodular pin can be used to pin connect the elongated body to the support. In this event the bore in the elongated body is placed in registry with the apertures in the side plates, and the pin then inserted therethrough.

An arcuate stop bar means 35 is welded across the rearward portion of the side plates to engage the top surface of the elongated body 30 when said body is operatively disposed between said side plates and on the cross braces 14 and 15. Said stop bar 35 functions to prevent the support 10 from tilting counterclockwise about pin 33 when carpet stretching action takes place.

Wall-bearing beam means 11 comprises a wooded beam 36 having wear plates 37 and 38 on the top and bottom surfaces, centrally thereof, secured thereto as by screws 39, and a bore 41 therethrough to receive pin 24. Said bore 41 is disposed substantially at the transverse axis of the beam and rearwardly thereof. Said beam is receivable in slots 17, 18 or 19 in a somewhat loose fit to accommodate the easy insertion and withdrawal therefrom.

The bearing edge of the beam is provided with a facing of soft material such as felt 42 or the like to provide a cushioned abutment to a wall surface to avoid scratching such surface.

Operati0n.1n operation, the rearward portion of the elongated body of a conventional carpet stretcher is adapted to be secured to the support 10 as by being adapted to be received between the side plates 12 and 13 and connected thereto by pin means 33, said body being insertable between cross brace 14 and stop member 35.

The wall-bearing beam is pivotally mounted in the topmost slot 19 by means of pin 24. The rearward edge of the beam is spaced from the rearward face of the slot, thereby allowing limited pivotal movement of the beam in the slot, to accommodate the beam to a wall should the carpet stretcher be not disposed at right angle to the wall.

The assembled carpet stretcher and wall-abutting means is then operatively disposed to stretch a carpet, with the wall-bearing beam 11 disposed against a wall face 43, at a height above the baseboard convector 44. The wall-bearing beam 11 being of a length to extend laterally across at least three adjacent wall studs, thereby transmits the carpet stretcher forces to at least two adjacent wall studs backing-up said wall face. However, the invention is not limited to said length, and under some circumstances the wall-bearing beam may be of a length to span two adjacent wall studs.

In the event warm air baseboard convectors are to be bridged, they being smaller than the hot water or electric baseboard convector 44, the beam 11 can be pivotally mounted in intermediate slot 18, such as indicated by dotted line 45.

The beam is mounted in the lowermost slot when it is to be used against wall paneling extending to the floor or a lightweight strip type of baseboard.

Some characteristic features of this invention are the provision of a wall-abutting means for a carpet stretcher that operatively bridges a baseboard convector; that is adapted to bear against the finished face of a wall and laterally across adjacent studs thereof; that includes a wall-bearing beam of a length to extend laterally across at least two adjacent wall studs; and that includes a wallbearing beam of a length to extend laterally across three adjacent wall studs.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that un'thin the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described,

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a carpet stretcher having an elongated body provided with wall-abutting means on one end thereof, said wall-abutting means comprising support means including a pair of oppositely disposed and substantially parallel spaced upright side plates rigidly secured by brace means extending thereacross and adapted to rest on floor means, vertically spaced slot means across the rear edge portion of said spaced side plates, a wall-bearing cross beam supportably receivable in said slot means and projecting rearwardly therefrom, said Wall-bearing cross beam being 4- of a length to extend laterally across at least two adjacent wall studs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slot means are provided with upper and lower deck means extending across said slot means, apertures in said deck means, pin means receivable in said apertures, and an aperture in said wall-bearing cross beam substantially at the transverse axis thereof for receiving said pin means therethrough to pivotally mount said wall-bearing cross beam in said slot means.

3. In a carpet stretcher provided with wall-abutting means, said wall-abutting means comprising support means adapted to rest on floor means and extending upwardly therefrom, and a wall-bearing member mounted on said support means and extending rearwardly therefrom and spaced above said floor means for bridging a baseboard convector and engaging an associated wall above such convector, said support means being provided with spaced means for supporting said wall-bearing member for selective height adjustment on said support means.

4. In a carpet stretcher provided with wall-abutting means, said wall abutting means comprising support means adapted to rest on floor means and extending upwardly therefrom, and a wall-bearing member supported on said support means and extending rearwardly therefrom, said support means being provided with spaced slots in the rear edge portion of said support means for receivably supporting said wall-bearing member for selective height adjustment on said support means, and means for securing said wall-bearing member in said slots including a pivot whereby to allow said wall bearing member to pivot relative to said support means.

5. In a carpet stretcher provided with wall-abutting means, said wall-abutting means comprising support means adapted to rest on floor means and extending upwardly therefrom, and a Wall-bearing member mounted on said support means and extending rearwardly therefrom and spaced above such floor means for bridging a baseboard convector and engaging an associated wall above such convector, said wall-bearing member being mounted on said support means through means of interconnecting height adjustment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,199 12/09 Noll 254-63 1,952,218 3/34 Peterson 254-63 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

2. THE APPARATUS OF CLAIM 1 WHEREIN SAID SLOT MEANS ARE PROVIDED WITH UPPER AND LOWER DECK MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SLOT MEANS, APERTURES IN SAID DECK MEANS, PIN MEANS RECEIVABLE IN SAID APERTURES, AND AN APERTURE IN SAID WALL-BEARING CROSS BEAM SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE TRANSVERSE AXIS THEREOF FOR RECEIVING SAID PIN MEANS THERETHROUGH TO PIVOTALLY MOUNT SAID WALL-BEARING CROSS BEAM IN SAID SLOT MEANS. 